


Learned Knowledge

by Keenir



Category: Highlander: The Series
Genre: Future Fic, Gen, Grace ships it, Space Flight, its not graphic but certain bedroom things are referred to obliquely in passing, so let me know if the rating is off, so many possible reasons Kronos could have for wanting this to work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2017-12-21
Packaged: 2019-02-17 21:27:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13085712
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Keenir/pseuds/Keenir
Summary: The time has come to leave the Earth.   Immortals venture forth into space (emasculating) and to another world (invigorating)





	Learned Knowledge

**Author's Note:**

  * For [merriman](https://archiveofourown.org/users/merriman/gifts).



> You asked for many of these Immortals, good Recipient, so I included them. You requested a look at some of the benefits and problems of Immortality, and I think I did that as well. You asked for no woobie Methos, and I am reasonably sure I did that...given I'm not sure what a woobie is - a weeble wobbling, sure, but not a woobie. :)

To an Immortal, the planet Earth was turning into a tinderbox physically, medically, socially.  Bad as those were, they had at least happened before, and could be dealt with.  However, steady improvements and advances in computers, surveillance, recordkeeping, and mapping made far harder the Immortal habit of moving and adopting a new identity before suspicion arose.  They now had fewer places to retreat to, to hide in anonymity, to wait out and outlive any who might pursue them.

A solution was needed.  A conference was called  - a neutral location of mutual secrecy for all involved.  The cost of late was too high to **not** attend.

* * *

Methos sat through the series of presentations offered by Immortals even Ritchie would have called wet behind the ears.  Some suggested culls by genetic or mechanical means -- Silas and Caspian snickered.  Others offered a mass version of an old standby: **all** Immortals literally go underground somewhere, and wait til a few centuries or millennia passed; Marcus led the wave of rebuttals to that.

And then Kronos took the stage, and introduced someone  - a Watcher.  Thought Methos, _Back to being vital and a leader...or simply a return to the joy of having someone under your wing for any reason._ Her proposal was simplicity itself: citing many astronomers current and past, inside and outside of SETI had the opinion that a spacefaring civilization must by necessity be mechanical - whether because of views on AI, Von Neumann probes, or, most relevantly, because as the poets put it, anything living dies."

"Except you," she said, and stepped back to let the audience discuss this.

* * *

With Gina and Robert leading the way, many Immortals and philanthropists and millionaires opened their wallets for this new push into space.

With Kronos and Cory leading the way, many more Immortals, governments, businesses and businessmen and engineers opened their wallets, their mines, and shared their talents.

Few in the mortal world knew its true purpose.  Few in the Immortal community cared anymore that the skills gained from this program would and could be easily shifted to exploit the Sol solar system in the wake of a successful departure.

* * *

* * *

For mortals, it would've been one of the worst possible worst-case scenarios that didn't simply destroy the ship or kill the crew.  Slow bone loss left only a nubbin of an anchor point for muscles themselves so weakened by a near-total absence of gravity, the lack of which had messed with eyes  [not that they needed to see far away in their current domain]  and weakened hearts and lungs.  And they were as yet only a third of the way to their target planet.

"No fighting!" Kit O'Brady declared, using inertia and pool table physics to personally separate Cory Raines and Robert Valdicourt.  "Come on, gentlemen, we **all** expected from you two especially.  Tell ya what, how 'bout a nice game of cards?  E-cards?"

Robert headed off for his quarters.

"I'll get the cards sorted," Cory said, and left.

"That was excellent work, Mr. O'Brady," Kronos said against one wall.

"You watched that whole thing?" Kit asked.

"Yes."

"Did nothing."

"What was there to do?  Bowl you aside and let them continue paw-slapping one another?  Nonsense.  As I implied, you had the situation well in hand."

"Thanks, then," Kit said.

"I believe there is a place for a man with your skills on my security force."

* * *

"Far from a disappointment," she said.  "You certainly make the most of a minimalist extension."

 _All of we men have been reduced in our physical manhoods_ , knew Marcus Constantine.  _But the gods in whatever number, have gifted us with minds to see which of us will overcome...  'Little details.'_   "An unexpected boon from spending a few decades studying birds with Humbolt and Lorenz."  _Few birds possess what we consider vital to being a man_.

"Then you'll understand I can't tell if you're up for another round."

"I am here at your pleasure," he replied.

* * *

* * *

Worst case again.  By the time they reached the target solar system, all of their rockets were out of fuel - even the retro rockets.  Force fields had been exhausted by all the interstellar dust.  There was only one option: crash into the planet, and let the pockmarked hull take one final strike for its passengers, scattering the Immortals into the currents.

Under gravity and an atmosphere, within a magnetic field, Immortal nature could resume.

* * *

Fitz's head and shoulders breached the surface, and with no undue haste, exclaimed, "Oh yuir back, old friend!"

Sitting on the shoreline, Rebecca snorted.  "It grew back.  Still not used to that?" good-naturedly.

* * *

Theirs was not a unique strategy; that much became obvious in time.  Other ships had crashed into the seas here over the ages  - most were unmanned either by intent or owing to mortality.  But one ship as different: its discovery and exploration had been guided by a Buzz...it had Immortal passengers unconscious in pods of nutrient broth, their bodies reduced even more than the human Immortals had been in their lowest points.

"They remind me of movie-projector film," Grace said.  "Pre-digitization.  The frames here are cartilage, tendons, and nerve pathways."

"And the film has an eye in the middle of one flat side," Amanda said.  "Not my favorite movie, but they may surprise us."

"Like Kronos?" Grace asked innocently.

"What?  Oh honestly.  Yes I was surprised when he led the charge to keep these new folks alive, rather than just taking their Quickenings and being done with it." _Though I don't envy whomever thinks they should ask Kronos to step down from his position of authority._

"Mm-hm."

* * *

* * *

This was not the Far-Away Land.  But it was a step on the journey towards it.


End file.
